Chapter 3: Method (Exploratory Case Study)

Chapter 3: Method (Exploratory Case Study)

This workbook is intended to help you to write Chapter 3 of your proposal. Each part of this workbook contains information that will help you to understand what should be included in Chapter 3 of your proposal:

? Critical points to include in each section. ? Issues to consider regarding alignment with other sections of the proposal. ? References to enhance your understanding of what is needed.

When you have read each part of this workbook, write the corresponding section of your draft proposal. Look for Write Your Dissertation writing prompts throughout the workbook; each one presents a list of everything you should address. Finally, each part of this workbook ends with two tools that will help you self-check your work: a checklist that highlights relevant advice from the Dissertation Handbook, and a list of tips provided by the Research Review Board.

When you have completed all parts of this workbook, you can put your work from all the parts together and you should have a finished Chapter 3 of your proposal.

The decision tree in Table 1 will help you decide whether a case study is the appropriate design for your research. Examples for the various types of designs are provided so that you can see how other researchers used each design.

Table 1: Decision tree for choosing the correct qualitative design

Design

Questions answered

When used

Example

Case Study Phenomenology

How, why, What

How do people experience a phenomenon?

Exploring a phenomenon in context, using one or more data collection methods. Describing in depth a case or cases.

Understanding the essence of the lived experiences of a group of people surrounding a phenomenon

Hew, K. F. & Hara, N. (2007) Knowledge sharing in online environments: A qualitative case study. American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58, 2310?2324.

Burton, C. R. (2000). Living with stroke: A phenomenological study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32, 301?309.

(Cont.)

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Table 1: Decision tree for choosing the correct qualitative design (cont.)

Design

Questions answered

When used

Example

Grounded theory Ethnographic study Narrative

What is the theory that explains the common experiences or behaviors of a group of people?

What are the shared patterns of a culture or a group?

What are the stories of the individual experiences of a specific individual?

Explaining why people behave in a certain manner

Describing a culture sharing group

Exploring the life of an individual or individuals

Harley, A. E., Buckworth, J., Katz, M., Willis, S., Odoms-Yound, A., & Heaney, C. A. (2009). Developing long-term physical activity participation: A grounded theory study with African American women. Health Education and Behavior; 36, 97?112.

Baillie J., & Lankshear, A. (2015). Patient and family perspectives on peritoneal dialysis at home: Findings from an ethnographic study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24, 222?234.

Patsiopoulos, A. T.; & Buchanan, M. J. (2011). The practice of selfcompassion in counseling: A narrative inquiry. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42, 301?307.

The decision tree in Table 2 will help you decide whether the exploratory case study is appropriate for your study. Examples are provided so that you can see how other researchers used each type of case study for their research.

Table 2: Decision tree for choosing the right case study

Type of case study

Questions answered

When used

Example

Exploratory

How, what?

Used when there is no single set of outcomes.

Seaton, J. X., & Schwier, R. A. (2014). An exploratory case study of online instructors: Factors associated with instructor engagement. International Journal of E-Learning and Distance Education, 29(1), 2?16.

(Cont.)

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Table 2: Decision tree for choosing the right case study (cont.)

Type of case study

Questions answered

When used

Example

Explanatory

How, why?

Used to explain presumed causal links that are too complex for surveys or experimentation (Yin, 2014).

Chong, H., Wong, J. S., & Wang, X. (2014). An explanatory case study on cloud computing applications in the built environment. Automation in Construction, 44, 152?162.

Comparative

How are cases alike? How are cases different?

Used to compare two or more cases. Sometimes referred to as multiple case study because there is more than one case. But focus is on the comparison of the cases.

Rialp, A., Rialp, J., Urbano, D., & Valliant, Y. (2005). The bornglobal phenomenon: A comparative case study research. Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 3, 133?171.

Intrinsic (Stake, 2005)

Can answer all above questions but focus is very specific

Used to better understand a specific case.

Hellstr?m, I. Nolan, M.,& Lundh, U. (2005). `We do things Together' A case study of "couplehood" in dementia. Dementia, 4(1), 7?22.

Instrumental

Used to provide insight into an issue or help refine a theory. The case plays a supportive role, helping us to understand something else. The case may or may not be seen as typical of other cases.

Luck, L., Jackson, D., & Usher, K. (2007). STAMP: Components of observable behaviour that indicate potential for patient violence in emergency departments. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 59, 11?19. doi:10.1111/j.13652648.2007.04308.x

Collective

Similar to multiple case studies.

Scheib, J. W. (2003). Role stress in the professional life of the school music teacher: A collective case study. Journal of Research in Music Education, 51,124?136. doi:10.2307/3345846

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Research Method

(This is the main heading for this chapter)

Introduce the Research Method section.

(Do not use this heading for this section.)

Background Reading for This Section

Your introduction to the Research Method section sets the stage for this chapter. Start by restating the purpose of your study and then present what will be in Chapter 3.

Critical Points to Address for This Section

Start by restating the purpose of your study. This statement is the same as the purpose statement presented in Chapter 1. Briefly preview the focus of Chapter 3, identify the major topics to be covered in the chapter, and end with a transitional sentence to the Description and Justification for Research Method and Description and Justification for Research Design sections.

Considerations for Alignment

? Purpose statement must be written exactly the same as it was in Chapter 1. ? Introduction should align with subsequent sections of this chapter.

Write Your Dissertation

In your dissertation template, write your introduction section, addressing each of the following points:

? Restate the purpose statement. ? Preview what is in Chapter 3. ? Identify major topics covered in this chapter. ? End with a transitional sentence to the next section. Remember: Ensure that your writing is cohesive. The ideas should flow logically and with appropriate transitions between sentences.

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Self-Check Your Work Against the Dissertation Handbook

Introduction Begins with the purpose of the chapter, how it fits into the dissertation, and the organization of the chapter.

Describes the method of inquiry used (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed method, meta-analysis, program evaluation, etc.).

Describes the specific research methodology chosen and how it derives logically from the statement of problem and the research questions.

Methodology Selected

(This is the main heading for this section)

Describe and justify your research method.

Background Reading for This Section

Chapter 7 in the Field Guide, particularly Section 7.5

The method used for an exploratory case study is a qualitative method. Qualitative methods are used to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions of people regarding a particular phenomenon (Merriam, 2009). Yin (2010) described qualitative research as collecting data from a variety of resources, evaluating the data, analyzing evaluations to produce findings, and presenting the findings.

Critical Points to Address for This Section

Description of method. In this section, describe in detail why a qualitative study is the best way to do your research. Do not simply provide a tutorial regarding qualitative research. Instead, show the reader that you understand what the qualitative method is and when to use this approach. Be sure to provide citations.

Justification of method. Begin by describing the problem you are exploring, and then explain how the problem indicates the need for a qualitative approach in order to understand a phenomenon. Explain why a qualitative study is the most appropriate method. Explain why a quantitative approach is not appropriate for your research.

Considerations for Alignment

? Qualitative method must align with the purpose of your study. ? Qualitative method must align with the problem statement. ? Qualitative method must align with the research questions. ? Aligns with description in Chapter 1.

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